


Part One

by SINISTERSUNS



Series: FROM ASHES TO EMPIRES [1]
Category: From Ashes to Empires
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, LGBTQ Character, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29725563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SINISTERSUNS/pseuds/SINISTERSUNS
Summary: A young man awakens to deafening crashes in the middle of the night. His family has to flee, but to where? Another crash and he's separated from them. He has to continue on alone. He's spotted by a soldier and...Next thing he knows, he's on the run from an army.
Series: FROM ASHES TO EMPIRES [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184621





	1. Chapter 1

When the first shell tore through the belfry of the town church and sent its bell crashing to the dusty floorboards beneath, bellowing out a deafening ring into the dark night, all were dreaming. Eyes finally cracked open as the spire shattered against the pavement, spilling its splintered and paint-chipped guts across the street. 

Daniel shot out of bed and stumbled to his bedroom window. Dust was rising above the houses just a couple blocks away. He’d woken just in time to see the second shell rocket through the air, narrowly missing him and his house. The  _ BOOM  _ that erupted mauled his ears.

Footsteps charged down the hall, accompanied by a much closer voice. “W-what’s…?” a girl asked from the bed next to his. A sliver of moonlight sucked the fear out of her heart and jammed it into her wide, dark brown eyes. Daniel returned her horrified look.

The door slammed open behind him and an older, familiar figure gripped the doorframe, a smaller one at his side. He opened his mouth to speak but the smoke outside silenced him.

Ominous whirring and decisive bangs dried out Daniel’s throat and made his words hoarse, “They’re here.” The girl was shaking now, the man in the doorway gasped. Daniel peeled his eyes from the window and the sight of shaking trees on a windless night.

  
  


“Daniel!”

Everything danced as pairs. The bricks strewn across the road, the towers of smoke rising into the sky, and the person calling to him from the other side of a now-collapsed building. Something warm was running down his arm and spilling into his open palm, and when he tried to move his shoulder it shot icy pain through the entire limb. At least the shrieks were muffled by the ringing in his ears.

_ “Daniel!”  _ The voice came again. He squinted, forcing his vision to cooperate, and saw the girl crouched down next to someone, but she was looking at him. She was trying to pull a woman out from underneath a wooden beam.

With a groan, he fought against the rumbling ground and pushed himself up against what was left of a wall. He swayed, and so did the girl, the woman under the rubble, the familiar man, and the group of men with guns approaching them. His stomach lurched and he staggered to the side. “Marie!” He yelled, but it was too late.

The girl, Marie, screamed at the sight of the men and threw up her hands. The man with her cautiously followed suit. The woman under the rubble did nothing.

Daniel’s stomach turned again as the men yanked Marie and the man off their feet. He couldn’t fight off all those men alone. Was there anywhere to hide—?

“Hey!” One of them shouted. “There’s another!” With that, two of the men started charging up and across the levelled house.

Directly towards Daniel.

His heart skipped a beat as he turned to run down the remaining walls of the alley, clumsily dodging bent fire escapes. The men’s combat boots crushed glass under their heels as they chased him through the debri.

“Stop!” they shouted, “Stop, or we shoot!”

Daniel’s heart beat too quick and his breath clogged his throat too tightly to respond. He burst into the open street—his peripherals caught a glimpse of a steel beast whirring hungrily toward him—and took a sharp right, sprinting into another alley just as the two men rounded the first. A bullet whizzed by his head as he all but threw himself into the alley, landing on his injured arm—he gasped, pain blinding him for a moment. Wheezing, sweating, he struggled to his feet and darted to the brick wall at the end of the alley. The crates sitting against it were just enough for him to pull himself over the wall right as the two men ran into the alley. They fired, turning pieces of brick to dust, but missing Daniel, who dropped down facing the wall.

“Go around!” one of them said. The sound of running responded.

Daniel turned, about to sigh with relief, but the figure leaning against a dumpster stopped him.

“What in the bloody hell?” the figure growled, tossing down a cigarette and stomping it out. He snatched a pistol off of the Federation Army motorbike sitting next to him and stomped over to Daniel, who reluctantly raised his hands. His eyes darted to lead pipes and cracked brick and to the man’s bike. Fearful air rumbled in and out of his chest.  _ What now? _

“Come on, you’re lucky I don’t shoot you right here—”

Daniel jumped to the side, grabbing the man’s gun and pushing it out of the way, the barrel burning his hand as a bullet shot out of it. He ripped it from the man before a foot met his stomach and he toppled to the ground, winded, but with his new pistol outstretched.

The man’s eyes narrowed. The knife made a vicious hiss as he unsheathed it. “You little—!” 

_ BANG! _

The world slowed. Gunfire faded into nothing more than knocks on a door, whirring tank treads became calm ocean waves, and Daniel’s breath jammed itself in his lungs. The man’s body hesitated, a wet gurgling exiting its mouth before it thumped to the ground.

Daniel lowered the gun.

“Okay…” his words came out in a series of shaky breaths. Using a crate as support, he pushed himself to his feet. “Okay. It’s okay,” he breathed.

He had to get out of there.

Dawn was starting to peek over the horizon. A stray sunbeam bounced off of some metal, cutting through Daniel’s right eye. He shielded his face from the sun with a hand, then followed the beam...

The bike.

Shoving the pistol into his waistband, he hurried over to it. He’d never ridden one before, he’d never needed to. Anyone could use a regular bike to get anywhere in that town. He tossed the helmet sitting atop the dumpster onto his head, pulled the motorbike into the middle of the alley, swung his leg over the seat, and sent a prayer to the Lord.

Tires shrieked against pavement and a smokey cloud plumed behind Daniel as the bike carried him out of that damned alley. 

A city of rubble and ash greeted him along with one of the first two men that’d chased him. The man shouted something and started running faster,  _ faster.  _

“Shit shit shit,” Daniel mumbled, wobbling as he tried to control the bike. “Ha!” He slammed his foot down on the pedal, careening him toward the edge of town and away from the chaos.

“Don’t let him get away!” he barely heard the man scream, but he certainly felt the air from a bullet brush past his cheek. He pressed down harder on the pedal, buildings a blur as he flew past them. Fields peeked past a bundle of shops up ahead—the edge of town—alongside a familiar lanky figure.

He grit his teeth. Did he have time?

More bullets, more blasts from somewhere else in the town that created an earthquake beneath him, more frantic shouting. His ears still rang slightly, his vision still a bit blurry, and even adrenaline couldn’t mask the pain the bloody, mangled gash in his arm gave him.

He had to try.

He swerved the bike to a screeching halt while simultaneously extending a hand to the figure. “Valtteri!” he shouted, “Come on!” It took the lanky man, Valtteri, only a moment of shocked hesitation before he grabbed Daniel’s dust-covered palm and hopped onto the back of the bike.

Daniel floored the pedal. “Please,” he said, “ _ please.” _ The last line of buildings was so close. His heart was about to explode. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he took a second to catch his breath—

And when he opened them, the sun rising over the sprawling northern plains greeted him.


	2. Chapter 2

Blistering pavement, the sun beating down on thick grasslands, not a drop of moisture in the air to stop the rays from cooking the back of Daniel’s neck. With no water beside the sweat drenching his shirt, his throat had turned scratchy and voice hoarse. Valtteri hadn’t fared much better, his light skin had turned tomato-red in the harsh sun. The motorbike had sputtered, choked by the heat, while Daniel’s stomach growled in starvation. Endless highways laid before him, and every sign he passed had said the next town was a millenium away. The Western Range foothills were taunting him and his cracked lips and sandpaper tongue with their unending glory. His mind and body were ready to lay down with the roadkill and bake. That is, until a smokestack rose in the horizon behind tiny trees. His tired eyes squinted at the desert oasis. Except, he had been in the middle of the Central Provinces, not the Abrassian Desert, and the oasis was no illusion.

A year of light-wood cabins dotting a field of swaying wildflowers and tall grass, with snow capped mountains piercing the distant heavens, and the aroma of wheat and songs of birds and grasshoppers, was the oasis—a commune. People were scattered about it as they did their daily work in the wide crop fields, picking corn and harvesting wheat, or pumping pails full of water and bringing them to the pens on the north side of the commune. Some sewed, or cooked meals for other workers, or helped build cabins for new arrivals. The community had been growing steadily over the past year, especially since the war had displaced so many families. Daniel and Valtteri were just two of the many wandering souls who’d found the thriving commune while heading south. And as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, stepping back from the motorcycle he was repairing while gazing at the towering peaks beyond the garage door, he hoped his family would soon follow him down.

A familiar face and pair of glasses poked around the garage entrance and, when she saw what Daniel was staring at, she gave him a goofy smile. “Whatcha looking at?” She stepped onto the cool concrete floor and her red-rose covered sundress came into view. Her black bob fanned out at her shoulders like little wings, striking against her light brown skin, and a flowing ribbon wrapped around her straw hat. They could be fighting in a rain-soaked ditch and Rui Himura would still look utterly gorgeous. Rui had been Daniel’s best friend ever since he’d arrived at the commune, she’d taken his hand and pulled him around the steadily growing community, showing him their town hall where The People’s Assembly gathered, the single-roomed school and students taking notes in the wheat fields behind it, the repair shop—oh, how Daniel had fallen in love with that garage the moment he saw it, its workbench piled with blueprints and walls lined with tools—and finally, she’d helped him settle into his new, humble abode. A cabin, like every resident and their family had.

“Mountains,” he replied.

“Again?” Rui hopped up on the hood of a car. A wicker basket plopped down next to her, Daniel hadn’t noticed it before. He set an oily rag on the motorcycle and climbed onto the hood beside her.

“What’s that?”

“Oh—lunch!” She beamed, throwing open the basket lid. She shoved her hand inside, rustled around, then yanked out a partially smashed ham sandwich wrapped in gingham patterned paper. “You always show up to the dining hall late, so I thought I might as well bring it here. Ah, oops, it got kinda squished by the beer,” she said, finally looking at the mess of meat and mustard.

Daniel smiled and shrugged as he took it from her. “A sandwich is a sandwich.” The paper crinkled when he folded it back to take a bite, his eyes returning to the mountainous horizon. They sat and chatted about their days while they ate—how the bike Daniel was fixing nearly fell on him because he didn’t secure it well enough, how one of the kids Rui helped teach nearly brought the wrath of a beehive down on herself.

There were a few trees in the field, but none near the school. “How’d she even find a hive?” A grin spread wide across his face alongside his jovial laugh.

“It was high on the back of the schoolhouse. I caught her throwing rocks at it! _Rocks!_ The bees were already starting to swarm around the roof... I guess she thought it looked cool or something, ‘cause she didn’t stop.” Rui sighed fondly, shaking her head. “I appreciate the kids’ curiosity about nature, but sometimes they can be a real pain in the ass.”

Daniel’s gaze slowly shifted back to the peaks. “That’s the exact kind of thing Marie and I would do when we were young.”

“That explains a lot.”

Daniel gave her an exaggerated glare. “We never actually _hit_ a hive, though, just next to it.”

She returned his glare with a smirk. “Explains even more.” Daniel lightly shoved her, she yelped and grabbed onto his arm to avoid falling off the hood. Their eyes met, then both broke down into titters. 

Rui steadied herself, her smile fading to something more somber. “Is that why you keep looking at the mountains?”

Daniel stiffened. His expression turned bittersweet. “If you mean Marie and my parents, yeah.” He peeked into the basket and grabbed a beer. “I wish I could’ve saved them when I fled… I just hope they’re doing alright, wherever The Federation took them.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at it to see Rui, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. “You’ll see them again,” she promised.

Daniel’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.” Rui pulled her own beer out of the basket, opened both, and clinked hers against Daniel’s. They took a sip.

The town hall door flung open and a red-faced blonde stormed out, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Daniel watched the man stop at the bottom of the town hall’s steps and paced, arms crossed, kicking up dust.

Rui noticed where Daniel was looking and followed his eyes. She groaned when she saw where he was looking. “Valtteri is bothering the assembly _again_ with his nonsense?”

He had no idea why Valtteri spent so much time with the Assembly, considering he always walked out of their hall looking like he did now. “He seems super pissed this time.”

“He always seems pissed, Danny, because he is. Nothing can make that man happy short of murder.”

Daniel flashed her a look that said, “seriously?” but she didn’t take it back. Her and Valtteri had always butted heads ever since they arrived.

Daniel sighed, “I’m gonna go see if he’s okay.”

“What?!” Rui accidentally exclaimed. She cleared her throat and settled her tone, but her eyebrows still furrowed in worry and a hint of frustration. “He’s obviously not. Why do you keep trying to make yourself his punching bag?”

“First of all, I bet he can’t fight for shit,” Daniel said, “and second, I’m not his punching bag. We lived next to each other for… well, all of _my_ life, and most of his, so I know him. He just needs someone who cares enough to help him.”

“Help him with what?”

“That’s what I’m gonna find out.” And with that, Daniel started for the fuming blonde. Rui didn’t try to stop him but he could sense her nervous eyes on the back of his neck.

Valtteri was still pacing, muttering to himself, when Daniel walked up to him. He didn’t even seem to notice Daniel at first, completely lost in his thoughts. “Hey, Val, are you… okay?” Daniel asked cautiously. 

Valtteri’s head whipped to face him. His ice-blue eyes were wide in surprise, then his lids dropped back to their constant half-opened gaze. “Ah, Daniel, good. They’re still refusing to listen to me,” he grumbled through his teeth, heel grinding a hole into the dirt.

“About—?”

“About our situation!” Daniel blinked, not sure how to respond. “I honestly don’t know how you all can’t see it. One day,” he began, “the Federation is gonna swoop down here and wipe us all out, or capture us, just like your family. We’re relying on some corn and the occasional deer to pass through for food. Hell, even our guns are outdated and rusting!” Valtteri took a breath, then exhaled loudly. “We need to join the modern age.”

They were silent for a minute, Valtteri crossing his arms as he waited for a response. Daniel stared at him, hoping his confusion wasn’t too visible. “Why do you think that’s gonna happen?” he asked. The commune had been flourishing, at least for the past two years Daniel had been there. Their population was growing steadily and sustainably, and despite that they’d never had any issues with food shortages. Besides, even if the deer and other wild animals stopped passing through, they still had their cows, pigs, and chickens. Everything Valtteri said was pure paranoia as far as Daniel was concerned. He’d always been a bit _out there_ , and at first it’d been humorous, like the outlandish theories he’d tell when they were teens about how the emperor was using birds to spy on his citizens, or that Andinity was a government tool used to control the population rather than an actual religion. All jokes, Daniel had assumed, but over the past few years he’d been getting… more extreme, and more sure of himself.

“Oh don’t give me that look. Ansfield was eons ahead of this place, and look what happened to it.”

“Ansfield was right on the Empire-Terres Nord border. I’m not sure the Federation would be interested in a tiny commune in the middle of nowhere, Val.”

Valtteri _tsch’_ d.

A smirk spread across Daniel’s face. “...Wanna bet on it?”

That got his attention. He raised his eyebrows, looking down at Daniel with careful consideration. “How much?”

“50 bucks.”

Valtteri’s eyes widened. “Where’d you even get that much from—? Y’know what, nevermind. Deal.” He offered a hand and Daniel took it, giving an exaggerated shake.

  
  


***

A deafening crash—dust rumbled down from the peaked ceiling, plates and bowls clattered around in their cabinets. Daniel shot awake, panic gripping his chest. He stumbled out of bed and ran to a window. Had The Federation found him? His heart pounded—was his home being invaded _again?_

Crackling, then a _BOOM!_ And a gust of wind, then all was quiet. Except for the rising shouts of panic and confusion. The room swayed, his head spun with vibrant fear. He shoved off the covers and, taking a deep, shaky breath, he yanked on a pair of sweatpants, bolting out into the cool summer night.

Even from his cabin he could see and feel the heat of the bright orange glow over the corn field. Half the commune was racing towards it, emergency rifles in hand. Daniel joined them, too stunned to ask what was happening. As he ran towards the fire, he saw a mangled steel wing peeking above the crops. His stomach leapt into his throat—it was a fighter jet, though he couldn’t tell who’s. 

Icy realization shocked his heart. _Where’s Rui? Val?_

He scanned the crowd for his friends, but couldn’t find either of them—

His breath caught. A silhouette layed amongst the flattened corn, unmoving, red pooling around its head, staining its blonde hair.

_Blonde. It’s not Rui._

His muscles relaxed, but guilt swiftly devoured his relief. _Focus, he still needs help._ He glanced to the plane then Valtteri, and breathed in the smoky air. 

Daniel jumped the fence separating the commune from the crash without thinking, despite the gathering crowd’s sharp protests. Valtteri was only a couple yards from the crash. Flames licked at Daniel’s dark brown skin and toxic fumes stung his eyes. He tried to see into the cockpit, but only caught sight of a smoldering black lump before having to look away.

Daniel rolled Valtteri over and hooked his hands underneath the injured man’s arms. He grunted as he hauled an unconscious Valtteri back toward the fence, trying to look away from the blood-gushing gash that ran from his hairline across his nose and to his jaw.

Medics greeted him once he finally slumped Valtteri against the fence, and only once they were both over and Valtteri was on a stretcher did Daniel notice how hard his heart was beating. A medic’s worried, yet grateful, words seemed miles away as two others carried Valtteri to the medical building. Daniel couldn’t help but wonder, was he too late?

***

A door creaked open. “Daniel?”

He quickly rose from his seat, stretching his legs. He’d been waiting outside that room so long that the sun had started to rise. “Yes?” The anticipation was impossible to keep out of his voice.

The doctor smiled. “He’s still unconscious, but he’ll be alright. I’d say you got to him just in time.”

A relieved breath whooshed out of Daniel’s lungs. “Thank the Lord.”

“Would you like to see him?”

He paused, remembering the horrible laceration, unable to help feeling guilty about it for some reason. “...Yeah,” he sighed. It wasn’t his fault, and he _did_ want to see how Valtteri was doing.

The doctor held the door open for him and gently closed it after he entered, leaving him alone with Valtteri. Daniel inhaled sharply when he saw the red-stained bandages covering the entire left side of his childhood friend’s head and face. His right eye only just peeked out from the cloth. Realization swept over Daniel—Valtteri had been a hair away from losing an eye. 

Daniel swallowed as another revelation gripped him. He knew he couldn’t outrun violence forever, but for it to come so soon and with such fury… 

He knew the war had found him.


	3. Chapter 3

Warm rays streamed down from the midday sun and coated the backs of laughing children who ran around outside the schoolhouse. Despite the light breeze and cloudless sky, Daniel’s brows couldn’t help but furrow in worry. Rui, who sat beside him on the school’s white paint-chipped steps, had a similar expression. She picked at the grass anxiously, her eyes on the children.

“So the Assembly was able to identify the plane…” she said quietly.

Daniel took a deep breath. “Yeah. They recovered a piece of the wing with a symbol of Earth surrounded by gold laurels, definitely The Federation.”

“They’re awfully close, then.”

Daniel nodded, lips pulled into a grim frown. A breeze blew by again, startling the schoolhouse’s shutters. They banged against the wall—both Rui and Daniel jumped, but none of the kids seemed to notice.

Rui sighed, going back to picking grass. “Since the Empire is doing such a _fantastic_ job at keeping them back...” she rolled her eyes. “What the hell are we gonna do? What can _anyone_ do?”

Daniel looked out across the schoolyard, watching a few kids tumble over into a pile of laughter and flailing limbs. They sprung back up and clumsily began chasing after each other once again. A knot formed in his stomach as he thought about what would happen if their little commune was caught in the middle of the war. 

He had no answer for her.

***

Daniel meandered up the dirt path to the hospital. The structure, walls made of cottonwood planks and a roof of slanted stone shingles, stood tall at the top of a small hill. He passed by two massive log pillars that held the second floor’s balcony up and entered through double doors, a familiar receptionist greeting him from behind their desk. He smiled back then followed creaky planks down a long hall, numbered rooms lining the white walls.

A nurse backed out of one of the rooms, holding a clipboard and pen. She caught Daniel in the corner of her eye, doing a double-take before grinning brightly at him.

“Welcome back!” she greeted him, “I hope you know how admirable it is that you’ve been coming here every day.”

Daniel returned her smile. “How’s he doing?”

“Fantastic! He just woke up.”

His eyes widened. Already? It’d only been a few days since the crash. “C-can I see him?” the words stumbled out of his mouth.

“I’ll see if he’s up for it.” She tucked the clipboard under her arm and grabbed the knob. As the door closed behind her Daniel’s mind raced. It was a miracle Valtteri had woken up so soon, an injury like that would take most people out for at least a week, right? Daniel ran a hand through his dark, curly hair and leaned against the wall, relieved. All that mattered was that Val was alright. 

_Creak._ The door groaned open, revealing the nurse. “He said you can come in for a bit.” She stepped aside as Daniel eagerly slipped into the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Valtteri sat upright underneath a cream white sheet, a fresh bandage wrapped around his head. Most of the room was bare besides some medical equipment and the chair and table next to Valtteri’s bed, the latter of which had a small radio on it. When Daniel entered Valtteri’s head turned only slightly, his right eye giving Daniel a groggy glance before returning to the blank wall opposite him.

“You owe me some money,” he said quietly, voice hoarse, but lighthearted.

Daniel took a seat in the chair and leaned forward on his knees. “That’s the second time I’ve saved your ass,” he said, smiling, a small attempt at lightening the mood. Valtteri’s uncovered eye turned down and his fists balled around the sheets. Daniel’s brow twitched in guilt—perhaps it was a bit too soon for jokes.

He was about to apologize, when Valtteri blurt, “I hate this place, Daniel.” The words tumbled out of his mouth like a landslide.

Daniel blinked. “Why?”

“Well this _,_ for one,” he gestured to the bandages, “and two, it’s a shithole. Not that I’m ungrateful for you rescuing me back in Ansfield, but stopping in an actual town would’ve been nice. Somewhere with shops and cars and literally _anything_ we were used to back home.”

“You were never particularly fond of our hometown, either, though.”

“At least it wasn’t a farm,” Valtteri said, finally meeting Daniel’s eyes.

“This isn’t one either, Val.”

“Then why are there pigs, cows, and crop fields?” One of his eyebrows cocked up, the fog beginning to lift from his eye.

“I—” Shit, he kind of had a point. “...A farm isn’t so bad.”

A chuckle rumbled in Valtteri’s chest, his grip on the sheets relaxed. “It’s just not really my thing.”

Daniel sighed, then cleared his throat. “Do you remember when we were kids, you, Marie, some others and I would run out to the plains and try to catch lizards? Or whatever else we could find.” A laugh. “Then once we figured out how to unlock your parent’s cellar, we’d take as much as we could carry out there and drink until the moon was centered between the stars?”

Valtteri rolled his eyes, not in an unkind way. “I went along with you just to make sure you didn’t hurt yourselves, and I only gave you that wine because my parents were dicks. It was some of their most expensive stuff—they were pissed when they found out, but the trouble I got in was worth the looks on their faces.”

“Whatever you say. I know you liked us.” Daniel leaned back, smiling impishly. “The point is, this place is kind of like those fields, at least if you let it be. Plus, Marie may be…” he faltered for a moment. “She may not be here right now, but you’ve still got me and now Rui.”

“Rui hates me.”

“I can convince her otherwise.”

“Sure you can.”

Daniel grinned. “I’m sure I can as well, thank you!” The corner of Valtteri’s mouth strained as he turned his head away—he was holding down a smirk.

“I’m going to sleep. Can’t feel how itchy these bandages are while unconscious.”

Daniel nodded, taking the hint, and stood. “I’m glad you’re alright, Val. See you soon.”

Light beamed through the window next to Valtteri’s bed, highlighting the bits of dust dancing around in the air, as Daniel turned to look at him one more time. Despite the peaceful evening, Daniel couldn’t help but feel a prickle of unease when he glanced at Valtteri. He shut the door, exiting into the hospital hall. 

_Val will be fine._

His brow furrowed.

_He’ll... be fine._

  
  


***

Valtteri glared out of the hospital window, regarding the sunbeams streaming in with an acute annoyance. They burned his uncovered eye, while the other was trapped within rough bandages that tore at his skin whenever he so much as breathed. An IV pumped painkillers into his blood, leaving him with murky thoughts and a dull throb behind his bandages.

Even though his face was burning, itchy, and his head was foggy, he was still able to focus on one thing in particular: Daniel. Valtteri would never understand the younger man’s persistence in trying to make the barn of a commune out to be more than what it was. He was never going to love the place the way Daniel did, certainly not enough to compare its pastures to the unending hills of the north. Nor would he _ever_ accept the leadership of the commune the way Daniel did so nonchalantly.

He balled his fists, sheets caught between his fingers. The Assembly took him and his ideas for a joke—they were the reason he’d stewed in frustration for hours. They were the reason he’d taken a walk to cool off that night. How could they have not seen something like this coming? Did they _want_ their meager community to burn to the ground? Maybe… maybe it should’ve, after all it was the reason he was lying in that stupid hospital bed, wrapped in sandpaper with a needle stuck in his arm.

 _Beebeep! beebeep! beebeep!_ the heart rate monitor yelled, startling him from his thoughts. Valtteri’s nails left imprints on his palms through the sheets, his eye twitched. Then, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath. He just had to keep trying. The Assembly would see he was right eventually. They _had_ to.

Cheap hospital pillows wheezed when he slumped against them, exhausted. This dismal place was killing him. He scowled at the popcorn ceiling. _Soon,_ he thought, _I’ll get out of here._

***

Indistinguishable chatter echoed up the dining hall’s tall pine walls and past the log rafters, carrying the aroma of freshly baked bread, crispy grilled bell peppers, and lightly charred patties. Daniel perused the buffet, stomach growling, and eventually picked out a modest burger and fries. After packing the lovingly paper-wrapped items into a basket, he met Rui by the entrance. Most folks had been eating inside the hall since the crash. Having a roof above one’s head provided an air of safety, though it had been getting quite crowded, so he and Rui had decided to spend the night dining under the stars.

They exited the hall’s warm glow and stepped into a cool summer night, swollen with the song of crickets and cicadas. Log benches lined the dining hall’s outer wall, most sitting there, empty, except for a group of four encircling one of them. They were all leaning into the center as a garbled voice sprung up from the middle. Daniel and Rui exchanged a glance of curiosity, then made their way over to the group. Static hummed behind the mechanical voice, which Daniel quickly realized belonged to a newscaster.

He craned his neck over the shoulder of one of the group. “What’s happening?”

“Listen,” they said. He did, straining to hear over the cicadas. Rui slid up beside him.

_“...and just yesterday, the Federation of World Powers Army passed into the northern Eastern Range. The emperor urges residents of the Eastern Province and its surrounding areas to prepare for the event that the Federation decides to push further. He also made a request in a press conference earlier this morning._

_‘These are unprecedented times we’ve been met with,’ the emperor began. He continued, ‘I know it has been a challenge for all Haelians, especially for our brave men on the front lines.”_

A few groans sounded from the group, followed by a couple exhausted “here we go”s.

_“A situation like this requires cooperation. What I humbly ask is that you do what you can to assist our freedom fighters, so that they can continue to push back the jaws of tyranny and keep us all safe—”_

The radio clicked off. “Enough’a that,” the person snorted, “Don’t know why he bothers lying. It’s not like any of them actually give a damn about civilians.” Murmured agreements followed their sneer.

A girl chimed in, ‘T _he jaws of tyranny,’_ he says,” she snickered at the emperor’s words, “as if those jaws aren’t his own. What’re he and his soldiers gonna do? Replace the Federation’s regime with his own?”

“Hell, he can’t even do _that_ right!” the first person laughed. “Immediately retreating from the border and pooling money into god knows where instead of medical supplies and rations for his already demoralized citizens and soldiers? _I_ could lead a war better.”

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. In Ansfield, and most towns as far as he was aware, Emperor Emrys Haelan was considered a flawed but overall benevolent ruler, as all the first Haelan’s descendants were. The commune’s stark opposition to that narrative had been a shock when he and Valtteri had first arrived, so he tried to stay away from political talk as much as possible. Though that had become nearly impossible with the approaching war.

Rui let out a prolonged hum and crossed her arms, a familiar sight to Daniel. It served as a placeholder, dangling in the air as she thought in the silence between words. “What about the resistances?” she finally said. Daniel had heard of the rebellious groups she was thinking of, there were dozens scattered throughout the Haelian Empire, parts of the far north Terres Nord, and the Empire’s southern neighbor, Abrasador. Some dated back a decade or so, but most were fairly new. “One of my assistants came back from a supply run the other day and said he’d overheard the store owners talking about a couple of ‘em not too far from us. Though, I guess there’s only so much truth to small-town gossip.” She frowned.

“You’ve got a point,” the girl said, “I’ve heard most are pretty small, but they’ve got potential, right?” She looked up at Daniel. “Hey, aren’t you the guy who came down from the north a year or so ago? Do you know what the Federation’s soldiers are like..?”

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. The girl—Emma, he remembered—noticed.

“Sorry. I know whatever happened must’ve been horrible, no pressure to say anything if it’s too difficult.”

Most of the commune knew Daniel’s story, the events leading up to his stay in the commune, but it nevertheless startled him when someone asked about it so directly.

“Ah, well,” he began, his voice low, “they… are ruthless. Their technology, in terms of weapons, is a bit more advanced than our own.” He took a long breath. “Seems like they take prisoners. Even if they’re just civilians. I, uh, don’t know what they do to them.” His heartbeat sped up, his chest tightening. Rui took his hand in hers and gave a squeeze. It helped, but just a bit.

“I see… I’m sorry.” Emma gave him a pitiful look.

He cleared his dry throat. “I-it’s fine. Rui?” His friend looped her arm around his and began leading him to a set of benches farther down the side of the hall.

“Are you _really_ okay?” She asked as they sat down.

“...No,” Daniel sighed. “I’m worried about them—my sister, mother, father… The Federation isn’t known for kindness.”

Rui pulled him into a side hug, her cheek against his head. “They’re resilient. They’ll make it through this.”

Daniel laughed bitterly. “That’s the thing, I don’t know if they are. We’ve had an easy life up until now. Ansfield was a wealthy town and we lived in one of the better areas of it. I was on track to be an engineer, Marie a gallery artist. Not captives or runaways.”

“Your sister is an artist? You never told me.”

“Didn’t I?”

“No, what’s she make?” Rui eyed him with genuine interest.

“Oh, she mainly paints portraits.” He smiled, images of newspaper littering Marie’s side of their bedroom floor and color spalshed canvases leaned against a mural that stretched from one end of her wall to the other. “Though, sometimes she’d paint the fields right outside town. She loved them so much that she plastered them right onto our bedroom wall.”

“She must be quite skilled,” Rui mused.

Daniel gave her a playful _eh, sort of_ before she lightly punched him in the arm. They laughed, then Daniel thumped his head against the wooden wall behind them. “No, you’re right, she is.”

“You think she’d paint me?”

“Hah, she always hated when people asked her that, but,” he looked at Rui’s delicate face and shining black eyes, “for someone as pretty as you? I’m sure she would.”

“Oh, stop.” She shoved him again, blushing ever so slightly. “You know what? Once you find her, I’m gonna ask her myself.”

Daniel’s eyes shifted to the distant mountains once again, narrowing at the sun that dipped behind their peaks. “I hope you’ll get that chance.”


	4. Chapter 4

_“...What I humbly ask is that you do what you can to assist our freedom fighters, so that they can continue to push back the jaws of tyranny and keep us all safe from these invaders. You can donate supplies in any local recruitment center—currently, what’s needed most is rations as well as any scrap metal, cloth, and rubber. With your generous help, they’ll never take our home.’_

_That concludes our emperor’s announcement. Now, we return to Stories for the Evening with Matthew Allen. Good night, and may our Lord Andrew bless you.”_

Valtteri wrinkled his nose. Maybe if the commune didn’t live so primitively, they’d actually be able to pitch in.

His room’s door creaked open. “Mr. Strom?” Erin, his nurse, poked their head in. “You awake? I’ve got your dinner.”

“Yes, come in, thank you.” He stiffly pushed himself into a sitting position as Erin brought over the tray and set it on the bedside table.

“How are you feeling?”

“All things considered, not terrible.”

“Good, good.” They glanced at the radio, which now played the gravelly voice of a storyteller. “I’m guessing you heard the announcement.”

“I did. I wish we were able to help, but there’s jack shit here to donate.” He looked up at them, putting on his most wistful expression he could muster. “Imagine being able to help win a war _._ ”

Erin shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting to the floorboards. “I can’t say I imagine that kind of thing all too often. I’ve already got people to worry about here, including you. I guess it may not be much compared to ending a war, but it’s something.”

“Oh, don’t think I’m unappreciative. You’ve been wonderful. All I’m saying is that I think there’s so much more we as a community could do, if only the Assembly would allow us.”

They looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean? They’re not barring us from joining the war or, like you mentioned, donating things.”

“Well, what do you have to give?”

“...Not a whole lot.”

“Exactly!” Valtteri’s eyes lit up. “If they only allowed some business to set up here. I could help with that, I’d be happy to go into Lysehill and—”

Erin’s exasperated sigh interrupted him. “Look, I’ve heard about your... ideas.” They tilted their chin up, regaining their composure. “I should go. Good night, Mr. Strom.” With that, they made their brisk exit, the door shutting firmly behind them.

Valtteri stared at the door for a moment, unblinking. Then he fell back against the bed, pulled one of the pillows tight over his face and groaned into it. Appetite lost in his frustration, he laid there for minutes. _Another_ person who wouldn’t bother to listen. This whole place was a heap of wasted potential from its leadership to even the damned inhabitants, blinded by whatever fairy tale of a life they thought they had. It’d soon come crashing down under the wheels of a Federation tank. 

He grimaced against the fabric. Hopefully some of the commune would survive, just so he could see the looks on their faces when they saw he was right.

***

“Why are you still here?” Rui stood in the garage entrance, hands on her hips. “The meeting started five minutes ago.”

Daniel looked up from the motorcycle he was working on. He was able to see the center of the commune, where community meetings were held, from his workshop. There was a large crowd gathered underneath an overcast sky, facing a low wood platform in the center, which five figures stood atop. The clouds dulled the usually vibrant flora that encompassed the commune and weaved a chilly breeze between the cabins. It looked like it was about to rain, but Daniel smelled nothing on the air. 

He gave her a sheepish smile. “It feels awkward to give my input on big decisions when I haven’t been here nearly as long as most of you. Like, is it really my place?”

Rui rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, of course it is. Besides, there are people who’ve come after you and they show up to meetings. C’mon.” She grabbed Daniel, who was still in his grease-stained tank top and canvas work pants, by the arm and tugged him away from his work and down the hill toward the meeting. As they approached, the People’s Assembly’s words drifted into his ears.

“...many have come to us and expressed a desire to acquire extra protection in light of the crash from a few nights ago,” said one of the older Assembly members—Kiyah—a woman with a dark brown, wrinkled face and coily gray hair pulled into a tight bun.

_Like how Marie wore her hair,_ Daniel thought absentmindedly.

“The Assembly is more than willing to accommodate these requests. Though, of course, new rules will have to be implemented for everyone’s safety.” She stepped back, nodding to another of the five Assembly members, Ellis. 

Ellis was also quite old, with graying black hair and ivory skin beginning to speckle with liver spots. Most of the Assembly members had been in the Assembly since the commune’s founding around twenty years ago. A rejection of standard Haelian society that had grown into a thriving community, Rui had told Daniel during one of their lunch breaks. Despite the commune holding elections every year, there had never been a reason to vote Ellis, Kiyah, or Oscar—the second oldest—out. They’d founded the commune, they knew how to run it best. Two of the Assembly Members standing on the platform, however, were barely older than Daniel. Aisha and Quinn. Daniel didn’t know the reason their predecessors had been voted out, as he’d arrived a while after they were appointed, but it didn’t matter. Aisha and Quinn brought new ideas to the Assembly’s table and took on some of the more physically taxing tasks, like making supply runs, while the older members focused on keeping all kinds of records and organizing work for the commune.

Ellis spoke, “Yes, we want to make sure these arms are used _only_ for defense. That means housing all weaponry in the Assembly Hall, which is having a small armoy added onto it for this exact purpose, and keeping records of who has what weapons, when they have them, and for what reason,” they paused to look back at the rest of the Assembly, lips pulled into a somber frown. The others matched their sentiment with various expressions, and, as Daniel looked around the crowd, he could almost see the apprehensive aura entombing the commune’s center.

Ellis turned back to the crowd and took a long breath. “The Assembly will provide funds, but we’ll need some volunteers to go into nearby towns and pick up some rifles and ammunition. This isn’t urgent, so feel free to attend to any other business you may have while in town. Now!” They clapped their hands together, trying to force a smile. “If you’d like to go, meet us at the trucks. We’ll divide you into groups.” The crowd began to disperse, some heading back to their work, some heading for a field behind the Assembly Hall where the commune’s transportation was kept. Mostly trucks, but also a couple motorcycles and any other kinds of vehicles people brought when they arrived at the commune.

“Guess you didn’t have to give any input after all,” Rui said. “I’m gonna go, there’s some supplies I need to pick up for school. Wanna come?”

Daniel looked to the workshop and his very unfinished project. Eh, it could wait. He was due for a break anyway. Also, he wanted to spend some time with Rui. It’d been a while since their last outing together.

“Sure, a change of scenery would be nice,” he said. 

She smiled, took him by the hand, and began leading him to the trucks.

***

The towns sprinkled between the Eastern and Western ranges were small but populated, with one long main street lined with family-owned shops and restaurants housed in buildings of brick, reinforced with steel from the decades-old industrial age. Few purely wooden buildings remained, and those that did were falling apart at the gaps in their planks. Even some of the stronger buildings were worn from the harsh storms that would occasionally funnel through the valley in the wet months. And they stayed that way, as it was difficult to find anyone with the skills to repair them. 

This disrepair was all fairly normal, as far as Daniel was aware, but the dusty teal uniforms patrolling the cracked sidewalks of the town of Lysehill were definitely not. He stared worriedly at them from the back seat as Rui drove them down the main street, eventually parking in a lot beside one of the shops. Their group hopped out of the truck, agreeing to meet back at it in an hour before heading towards their various destinations. Daniel, however, couldn’t take his eyes off two Haelian soldiers smoking outside a restaurant across the street from them.

“You alright?” Rui asked, tossing a satchel over her shoulder. Daniel blinked a couple times before looking at her.

“Yeah. Where are we going first?”

“Since they said they’d handle the rifles, I figured we’d go pick up my stuff then get lunch or something. Sound good?”

“Uh-huh,” he responded, only half paying attention. The soldiers across the street were laughing loudly now. About what, he wasn’t sure. 

Rui raised an eyebrow at him, turned to the soldiers, then made a knowing ” _ah”_ sound. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Daniel sighed, “I will be. Let’s go.”

She nodded. They walked down main street toward one of the older shops, a bookstore, while cars from the previous decade drove by. A bell tinkled as they entered. If dust had a smell, it was this bookstore. It was charming, though, like an old candle-lit library.

Rui headed up to a counter with a white-haired woman standing behind it while Daniel took to the shelves, running his fingers over spines with worn silver lettering that read things like _“The Legend of Einar”_ (one of Daniel’s favorite childhood stories), _“History of the Old Clans,”_ and, of course, _“The Manifest of Lord Andrew.”_

He flipped through a couple of the books, mainly looking at the detailed illustrations that popped up every few pages, until the bell jingled again. A middle-aged couple had entered the store. They gave a friendly wave to the woman at the front desk, who had piled thick history books in front of Rui, then continued to the aisle Daniel was in.

He gently closed the book he had been skimming and placed in back on the shelf, then turned to the pair. “Excuse me,” he said. They gave him quizzical looks. “Is there… a reason the Haelian Army is here?”

One of the two women gave Daniel a quick once-over, then responded in a drawl typical for communities in the Central Provinces, “You’re one of them commune folks, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“That’d be why you don’t know, I guess. They’re preparing for the Federation. ‘Parently they’re moving southwest rather quickly.”

Daniel’s tongue turned to sand. “...What do you mean? I thought they’d only made it to the tip of the Eastern Range.”

She raised an eyebrow. “No, they’re at least a couple hundred miles down the western edge, pretty much perpendicular to us accordin’ to the soldiers. Did you hear that from a broadcast? You can’t trust those too often. ‘Specially not now—Hell, it’s even hard to trust what them foot soldiers told us and we’re just an enlistment letter away from being right beside them in a foxhole—practically war buddies already.”

It was Daniel’s turn to give them a confused look. “Why would the emperor lie?” Her partner snorted a laugh, but when Daniel’s expression didn’t change, she stopped.

“Oh, you’re serious,” she said. “Sorry, y'all have a reputation for knowing better than to trust ol’ Haelan.”

He took a tired breath. Rui was beginning to slide the books into her satchel. She motioned for him to join her at the front of the store. “It’s fine. And thank you—looks like I’ve got to go.” He started to leave, but one of the women put a hand on his shoulder, suddenly serious.

“Be careful who you trust.” 

Daniel stiffened at her words. He carefully pulled his shoulder out of her grasp and nodded before hurrying to Rui.

Rui narrowed her eyes at the couple. “What’d they say? Did they do anything to you? ‘Cause I _will_ fight them if you need me to.”

Daniel surprised himself with a laugh. He didn’t think anything could break through the anxiety wrestling around in his chest. “No, no, nothing happened. But I do have something to tell you.”

“Liiiike?” Rui asked as she pushed the door open to a gust of chilly wind.

Daniel’s brow furrowed and he rubbed his bare arms, which had sprung goosebumps. “Rui, do you think the emperor would lie to us about something like, say, where the Federation’s army is?”

“Yep.” She said it without a second of hesitation.

“...Seriously?”

“Uhuh.” Her brows furrowed. “Why, did you hear something?”

Daniel’s brain spun between Ansfield and the commune. _The emperor would never lie—but he has, hasn’t he—but that doesn’t make any sense—doesn’t it? He has an image to preserve._ “I… may have.” He took a deep breath, the air icy in his dry throat. “The Federation is very close.”

Rui froze. “How close?”

“Those women said they’re a decent way down the Eastern Range’s western edge. Perpendicular to this town. At least that’s what the soldiers told them.”

“That’s only a couple hundred miles away from us.” Rui’s breath came out shaky. She forced a nervous smile. “It’s a good thing that we’re picking up defenses.” She started walking again, but slower than before.

“I hope we won’t have to use them.”

“Me too.”

***

After Daniel told everyone in the truck what he had learned, the ride home had fallen silent. The only things left were the crunch of dirt roads sprinkled with gravel underneath tires and the wind whistling against dusty windows. He thought the tension would ease when they finally pulled up behind the Assembly Hall, but it stuck in the air like molasses.

“I should go tell the Assembly,” Daniel said.

Rui just nodded, staring blankly through the windshield.

He left her for the Assembly Hall. Most of the groups sent out had come back and were carrying slings filled with rifles of varying makes and qualities. Light conversation bounced around them, seemingly unaware of their predicament or, if they did know, trying to not let it get to them. Daniel trailed behind one of the groups as they entered the hall, which veered to the right where Quinn was waiting, directing the groups to a makeshift storage system of crates.

Daniel broke from the groups and walked towards the back of the hall. It was larger than most cabins in the commune, but it wasn’t grand by any means. The fanciest things in the place were the cream colored trim along the bottom of the walls and a collection of mounted antlers that lined the two longest walls—one set per assembly members’ desk, which sat directly below them, currently unoccupied—the wood-carved deer bust at the entrance, and the two sets of double doors at each end of the hall. Other than that, it looked like the rest of the buildings, save the hospital.

Muffled conversation flowed from the doors at the back. They were clearly in the middle of a discussion, but this was important. He knocked and the voices stopped.

“Yes?” Kiyah answered. She was the sweetest of the assembly, but even she couldn’t hide the annoyance in her eyes.

“Sorry, may I come in? It’s important.”

She glanced over her shoulder before looking back at him and sighing, “Please, make it quick. We’re very busy.”

Daniel flashed her a smile. “Thanks, I will.” She stepped aside to let him in. Daniel had expected their private meeting room to be coated in the finest woods and carpeting, maybe even some mahogany bookshelves and a carved desk, but it was the opposite. Just as basic as the main hall with a round table in the center and a few chairs around it. There were a couple bookshelves, but they housed files rather than novels.

“Look, if this is about your friend, you should really come back another time,” said Oscar, a short man with only 9 fingers—Daniel had heard Rui’s students tell wild stories about how he lost it, but in reality, he was injured while helping with some farming equipment.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “What, Val? No, it’s…” he hesitated. “It’s the Federation.”

“We’re aware that they’re closer than the emperor is letting on, yes.”

Daniel blinked. “Not to be rude, but you seem awfully calm when they’re only a couple hundred miles away.”

The room stilled. Oblivious shouts of joy from children playing outside the schoolhouse wormed their way through the quiet. All eyes were on Daniel, making him shift his weight nervously.

“That… we did not know,” said Kiyah. “Who told you this?”

“I talked to some locals in Lysehill. There’s tons of Haelian soldiers stationed there, probably in other towns around here too.”

“They’re moving so fast,” Oscar murmured.

“Do we tell everyone?” Aisha asked. “It could cause panic.”

Ellis replied, “Of course we do, our people deserve to know what’s going on. Besides,” they gestured to Daniel, “the news is getting out one way or another.”

“It would be worse to have it twisted in a game of telephone rather than informing the commune as a whole,” Kiyah said. “We’ll discuss once Quinn is finished with the groups, then have a community meeting, yes?” The other members nodded their agreement. She turned back to Daniel. “Now, we have business to return to, but thank you. And apologies for the less than warm welcome, we’re all quite tired.”

Daniel, taking the hint, pushed open the doors. “It’s alright, I understand. And,” he added, “if it helps, I’ll talk to Val about whatever it is he keeps bringing up.”

“That would be appreciated.”

With that, Daniel returned to the hall, passed the groups, and headed back to the workshop. Getting any work done proved impossible, though. He sat on a rusty stool, tools in hand, staring at the motorcycle’s handles.

Emperor Haelan had lied. And about something so important, something that could get unsuspecting civilians killed.

What else was a lie? The empire-sanctioned books he’d read by lamplight with Marie, the tales his teachers told about the shining Haelian capital—what about Haelan’s reasons for fighting this war? Now that he thought about it, it certainly was odd that a random Haelian border guard accidentally fired the first shot. Why would something as small as _that_ start such a conflict?

_Clang!_ Daniel nearly jumped out of his skin when the wrench slipped from his hand and struck the concrete floor. He puffed out a breath, picked it up, and set it and the rest of his tools on a workbench. The workshop had gone dark, the grass had taken on a blue nighttime hue, and his stomach rumbled despite him not having an appetite. How long had he been sitting there?

He shook his head to clear it. _It can’t all be lies._ After pulling the garage door down, exhausted, he began trudging toward his cabin. _Can it?_


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was below the mountain peaks when a woman rolled down the gradual hill on a motorcycle. She was shivering, even though it was mid summer, and she was wearing long grayish teal pants and a blood-stained button-up. Daniel veered from the path to the dining hall he and Rui had been walking and rushed over to her, catching her as she began to tip over.

Rui gasped at blood pouring from the woman’s wound.

Daniel carefully pulled the woman to the ground. His shaky hand slipped on her shirt as he tried to stop the bleeding. “S-shit, go get help—I’ll stay here!” he stammered, eyes darting from the woman’s face to the holes bored into her stomach. Rui nodded, bolting for the hospital. The woman coughed.

“Help…” she rattled.

“We’re getting help, we’re getting help. You’ll be okay.” Cold sweat, on both of them. There was so much blood.

“Not me,” she said, “We were ambushed. A Haelian platoon. I managed to get away...” Daniel finally noticed the tears running down her face—from fear or her injury, he didn’t know. “We’re only 20 minutes away. Please.”

 _A platoon—an army,_ Daniel said in his head. He kneeled there, silent, feeling the heat on his skin from burning buildings and the smoke that filled up his lungs as he raced away from bullets. _It’s closing in._

“Danny?” Rui’s voice snapped him back to reality. She stood with two paramedics, one of which immediately took the woman from Daniel and began properly applying pressure.

He cleared his throat as he shuffled back in the grass, forcing the memories to the recesses of his mind. “How many people are in your group?”

“Were 30. Now...” she shook her head weakly.

“Alright.” Cogs whirred rapidly in his head. The field of trucks behind the Assembly Hall—it was the evening, people were gathered near it at the dining hall, easy to round up a group—

Wait, she’d said a _Haelian_ platoon ambushed them. What had they done for the Haelian army to…

 _No._ He inhaled sharply as he stilled his mind. _That can wait, people need our help._

“Rui, can you get some cars ready?” She blinked in surprise, before nodding and dashing off toward the trucks. Daniel stood to run towards the dining hall. He stopped. 

“What’s your name?”

The woman looked up at him, faint. “Irene.”

He hated to ask it, “Can you guide us?” She slowly nodded. “Will you two come with us?” he said, turning to the paramedics. They also nodded, though apprehensively. “Good.” His feet carried him toward the hall.

***

A chapel’s steeple splintered against the ground. Daniel jolted in the truck's seat—a tree. Not a steeple.

_This is not Ansfield._

_Ra-ta-tas_ of gunfire droned in the distance. Another tree fell, crushed by muffled whirring. Car tires tore across the dry grass as they rocketed towards a dense treeline, set ablaze by the blasts, whose smoke struck his nostrils through the cracks of the car. Rui gripped the wheel with white knuckles.

 _This is_ not _Ansfield._

Irene groaned in the back seat, laying against a paramedic—she’d gone ghost white during the ride, giving them directions in gestures and vague statements like “north of the hill with the big trees”. Only with her and the deafening noises of war had they managed to find their destination.

Daniel swallowed his rising panic as Rui screeched to a halt behind the treeline, safe from the platoon. For now. The rest of their tiny brigade followed suit.

“H-hurry,” Irene wheezed. Any response Daniel had caught in his throat, he could hardly move, much less talk. He gave a nod, more of a twitch, really, before throwing open the truck door.

All of the dozen or so people Rui had collected were already running from their cars and for the treeline, crouching low to avoid any stray bullets. He followed suit, sliding behind some bushes once he was close enough. Blurs of motion peppered his vision. More uniforms, shiny gunmetal, a tank clambering through the trees. Shouts had begun to replace gunfire—wait, where was Irene’s group?

Then he saw the first of the bodies.

All sorts of clothing twisted between the trees, bloodied and torn with wide, milky eyes. There were two dozen... more, even. Daniel was glad he couldn’t talk, or he would’ve screamed. They were too late.

Whispers flittered through the would-be rescuers until they finally began to creep back toward the cars, still unnoticed by the platoon. Daniel was about to join them when a flash of blue cloth and tanned white skin caught his eye. He whipped around, sinking below the bush again.

His eyes widened. A survivor, desperately trying to load a revolver while gritting his teeth, a shoulder caked in blood. Breaths came in short bursts as Daniel looked to the man, to the cars, then the encroaching platoon. The survivor was just a few yards away... 

He clenched his jaw, then leapt over the bushes.

The man started, immediately raising his half-loaded revolver. “Get the _fuck_ back!” His voice was visceral, like a cornered wolf’s growl.

“Shhh!” Sweat dripped down Daniel’s back when the platoon’s shouting stopped, replaced by leaves that crunched toward him. So much for being stealthy. He extended a hand to the survivor, unsure of what to say. The survivor’s dark blue eyes darted to Daniel’s palm, then to his face. Without lowering the gun, he took it.

They erupted from the underbrush. Surprised glances met the two as they sprinted toward the cars, gunfire on their heels. “ _Go!”_ Daniel shouted as he pulled the survivor to Rui’s car. The survivor all but threw himself into the back seats while Daniel rushed into the front. Rui slammed her foot on the pedal, lifting the truck off two of its wheels as she turned in the direction of the commune. A moment later, their caravan was speeding into the valley, bullets occasionally pelting the bumper.

“Take a detour,” Daniel said, panting. “Don’t let them follow us back.”

Rui’s voice was as shaky as Daniel’s hands. “R-right.”

Denial rose from the back seat. “No, no, Irene? _Irene?_ ” the survivor repeated her name. Oh Lord, was she…?

One of the paramedics started, “I’m sorry—”

“Why didn’t you help her?!” 

“We tried! She had to guide us or we never would’ve found you!”

The survivor quieted. Daniel swallowed, his throat scratchy from smoke. The truck hit a couple of bumps—their new course was a bit rockier, it skirted the base of the mountains. Hopefully that would be enough to throw the rest of the steadily quieting gunfire off.

“How many are left?” the survivor’s words were dull, barely more than a whisper.

Daniel turned his head to look at Rui. “Did you see anyone else come out?”

“...Just one other,” she said. “But I may have missed some, there was a lot happening,” she offered.

The survivor let out a bitter, gritty chuckle. Daniel didn’t need to look at him to know it was a smileless laugh. “No, you probably didn’t. The army is thorough.”

Grim silence shrouded the rest of the drive.

***

“What’s your name?” Daniel asked on the trek from the now parked trucks to the hospital. Slung over Daniel’s shoulder was the survivor’s uninjured arm, the other hanging limply at his side. A light chill tickled the grass around them as the sun began to dip behind the horizon.

The survivor narrowed his eyes. “Why should I tell you?”

Daniel blinked back his confusion. “So I know what to call you…?” He pushed open the hospital doors and led the survivor to a waiting nurse holding a medkit. They motioned for the pair to follow them to a room down the hall, one near Valtteri’s room. A door thunked shut, but Daniel caught sight of brown skin and jet black hair, in a similar spiky style to the man leaning against him, just before it closed—the only other survivor. “Can you at least tell me what _his_ name is?”

“No.”

Daniel sighed. They turned into what would be the survivor’s bedroom for the next few days, and Daniel helped him onto the bed. He groaned, reaching for the wound, until the nurse gently pulled his hand away and began to remove his teal coat. It had the same patch as Irene’s—a perfectly symmetrical cross with edges that curled back into points at each of its ends, a gold circle in its center, four blue triangles peeking out of each of its inner corners, all on top of a baby-yellow circle. His, however, was nearly unrecognizable due to how many times it’d been carved through.

The nurse gasped. The survivor had their wrist in a death grip, his coat hanging off his shoulder, eyes wide. He blinked, as if he’d surprised _himself_. “Uh,” he swallowed, “sorry,” and released their wrist. “Just leave whatever supplies you have in here. I’ll take care of it.”

They took a moment to regain their composure. “You’ve been shot.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle myself.”

“But—”

“I said I’ll be _fine.”_ The shaved hair on the back of his neck bristled. The nurse said nothing, but left their medkit on the bed. Floorboards groaned as they hurried out of the room.

Daniel raised an eyebrow at the survivor. “You’re… serious?”

“Yes. Can you leave too?”

Daniel hummed, feigning deep thought, then cracked a smile. “I will if you give me your name.”

“Lord,” he grumbled, staring out the window for an uncomfortable amount of time. “...Fine, it’s Anthony.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” Daniel started for the door, then spun on his heels. “What about the other guy?”

“Don’t push it.”

“Right!” Daniel turned right back around and stepped out of the room, letting the door click behind him. With the serious, almost icy, disposition Anthony had, he’d probably get along well with Valtteri. 

Daniel walked over to the other survivor’s door. It was still open, and, peeking past it, he saw a group of nurses surrounding the unconscious man—no, boy. No older than 17. His face was still quite round, and only a few bits of stubble poked out from his chin. He was unconscious, probably from blood loss, his thigh propped up and wrapped in darkening bandages. Daniel slunk away from the door, worry etched on his face. Poor kid.

“Hey,” a cracked voice called from across the hall. Rui sat in one of the chairs lining the wall, her arms wrapped around herself. Dark bags had formed under her eyes, which themselves were dull, absent of their usual shine, and her hair stuck out at odd, frazzled angles. “He’s the same age as some of my older students.”

Daniel took a seat next to her, letting her head nuzzle against his shoulder. “How long have you been here? I didn’t see you when I came in with Anthony—that’s the other survivor’s name, by the way.”

“Just a couple minutes,” she said. Her hair brushed his cheek as she turned to look at his previously white button-up, which was stained with Irene’s, and a bit of Anthony’s, dried blood. “You’re probably gonna have to throw that out.”

He’d forgotten about the blood. Too focused on the chaos of the evening. “Oh. Yeah, I guess so.”

They were silent for a few minutes, watching the nurses work through the crack of the younger survivor’s door. None of them seemed worried, thank the Lord.

“What’s going to happen?” Rui broke the silence.

Daniel wanted to say that they’d be fine, that the Haelian platoon would give up on their chase and that the Federation wouldn’t bother them, but that didn’t seem likely and he didn’t enjoy lying. Especially not to Rui.

“I don’t know.”


End file.
